Social networking app Path introduces The Shop, text and voice messaging in update

Path on Wednesday released version 3.0 of its iOS app, bringing one-to-one and group messaging as well as an in-app store called The Shop, which offers access to "stickers" and special photo filters.

With the newest update, Path users can now communicate through rich one-to-one and group messages that support text, voice, location information, stickers and music or other media.

Path's messaging feature is akin to Facebook's recent update that joined the network's messaging services, which now included VoIP in North America, into one app. Unlike Facebook's implementation, however, Path allows users to insert special content like songs into the conversation.

In The Shop, Path has consolidated its premium photo filters and new sticker packs into one location. Previously, the $0.99 filters were available to buy within the camera feature.

As for the new stickers, which are sold in packs, the artwork is large and well-accomplished, adding a certain flair to messages that emoticons can't capture. While the purchasable digital decals may seem like an unnecessary addition, the in-app buys help support Path, which is looking to turn a profit on its popular service.

Finally, version 3.0 comes with a number of bug fixes and overall improvements making the app snappier and easier to use.

Path's new features are available now as a free 23.1MB download from the App Store.

I guess people use it because they like it. Besides didn't very social network committed the same "mistakes" and they've all since repaired them?

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Originally Posted by jason98

Yet another social network built on top of the stolen private user data...

True. Users of ANY free social network are products being sold and not customers being catered to. But Path isn't new and it has limits on it's scope.

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Originally Posted by Gazoobee

What exactly *is* "Path" anyway? It looks like Facebook for kids or something.

Path is a free social network like Twitter, G+ and Facebook but built for mobile devices. No web interface. It's designed for people you know in your actual real life and you're limited to 150 friends. Share photos, snippets of songs you enjoy, links, post a thought or check in to the places you visit, etc. You can link Path to other social networks so your posts show up there as well. I think it was first released in November 2010.